Rail anticreeper



Jgn. l1, 1927. 1,614,365',

R. HILL RAIL ANTICREEPER Filed March 26, 1926- 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTQQ Posa-:PT HIL-LF- Jan. 1l 1927.

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RAIL ANTICREEPER Filed March 26, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HlI-L...

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, FITTYS- I Patented Jan. 11, 1927.

UNITED STA Tes PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT HILL, OF AYLMER, QUEBEC, CAlI'l-KIDA.l

v RAIL ANTICREEPER Application filed March V26, 1926. Serial No. 97,688.

Further objects are to provide a compacty and for all practical purposes one-piece anticreeper for rails. I

With the foregoing and other objects in view hereinafter more fully referred to, the invention consists essentially of a yoke adapted to fit across the underside of the base of a rail and to grip and clamp at one end the edge of said base, the other end of the yoke being designed to engage with a clamping member, also adapted'to engage with the opposite edge of the rail base and a locking wedge through the clamp-carrying end of the yoke.

Referring now to the drawings, in which like charactersy of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure:

Figure 1 is aside elevation of a rail fitted with my improved anti-creeper,

Figure 2 is aperspective View of the anticreeper removedfrom the rail, h

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the anticreep'er, Y

Figure 4i is a cross section of a rail showing the anti-creeper fitted thereon broken away and partly in section,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail section on line 5-5 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the yoke showing the slot and projection in the enlarged end,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of a modified or box form of the clamping member,

Referring now more particularly tol the drawings, in which a preferredform of my invention is illustrated, 10 indicates a yoke formed with enlarged portions 11 and 12 at each end, the enlarged portion 12 being notched `at 13 to engage with the side of a rail base 11i as illustrated in Figure 1l. The opposite enlarged end 1,1 is slotted at 15 and provided with alug 17 in the slot to .engage with a locking wedge or key 18 hereinafter more fully referred to and as illustrated in Figure 2. The top surface 19 of the yoke is preferably formed with a slight slant downwardly from substantially the centre as at 2O to the notched end (see Figures 2 and 6). The slotted end 11 is also provided with` a projection 2l, the purpose of which is hereinafter more fully referred to.

Coming now to an important feature of v my invention .in the form of the clamping means, this j comprises a channel-shaped member 22 formed with a slot 23 in the back 2e vdesigned to yengage with the enlarged end 11 of the yoke, the sides 25 of the channelr member being suitably notched at 26 to engage wi'th and clamp the side 27 ofthe rail base. This clamping member, as illustrated in Figure 7, can be made in box form with the top and bottom closed or the top may be left closed and the bottom open. The sides 25 may also be of greater depth at the bottom, as shown in Figure 2, than at the top. When the clamping' member is placed in position, as indicated in Figure 2, the clamping and locking key is inserted in the slot 15 in the end of the yoke. This key 4or wedge is of any suitable construction and is hereJ shown with a plurality of notches 28 designed to individually engage and lock with the lug 17. The wedge may also beV bent atv the end as at 29 in any suitable manner and is here shown bent downwardly so that, when not in use and for the purpose of conserving space in packing, it canbe withdrawn until the bent end engages with the slot 15 permitting the wedge to hang downwardly instead of protruding horizontally (see Figure 2).

Another feature of my improved anticreeper is that it is practically a one-piece device, the construction of the wedge 18 as already described preventing itfrom becoming separated from the other portions of thev device when assembled, while the clamping member, by simply heating the projection 21 and hammering it in position on the yoke, as shown in Figure 3, is securely though loosely held there for all practical purposes. In this way the chancesvof portions of the device, smalll or large, being lost in transit or when being fitted in large quantities, are obviated and each creeper, for all practical purposes,. is self-contained and with the parts inseparable and r-eady to be placedin position. p j

From the foregoing, the operation of my device will be self-evident. The yoke being placed beneath the rail, as indicated in Figure 4 and the notch 12 on the side of the rail base the clamping member is slipped on over the slotted end 11, the notches therein engaging with the other side of the rail base. The locking wedge or key 18 is then moved vfrom the position indicated in dotted lines in FigureQ and hammered or otherwise The yoke `10 as illustrated and designated by the numeral 19 having its top or rail contacting surface curved will not be in continuous contact with the base of the rail until .the wedge or locking key is driven.v The clamping member, however, is rigid on the rail and the wedge or key 18 when drivenfwill automatically in combination with the curved surface 19 of the yoke raise it and with it the locking lug 17 protruding downwardly trom the slot 15 in the yoke. The lug following the notched surface ot' the driven wedge will risc on encountering the partitions v'between the notches and on encountering the notches themselves and drop automatically into locking position, thereby automatically locking the wedge and the device as .a whole on the rail.

Preferably the top surface of the yoke providing a noncontinuous contact with the surface of the rail when the wedge is driven spring actuates the yoke thereby permitting the driving of the wedge and the automatic locking of the wedde with the locking lug 17.

IAs regards to the sides 25 being of greater depth at the bottom than at the top, this is for the purpose of giving it a more secure hold when sunk in the ground.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely diferent embodiments of my invention, within the scope 'ot the claims, constructedy without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the .accompanying specificationanddrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

VVhatfI claim as my invention is:

`l. An anti--creeper for rails comprising a yoke with an enlarged notched end and a slotted enlarged end, a channel-shaped clamping member slotted to engage with the slotted end ot the yoke and provided with notches to engage with and clamp the railV base, a locking key or wedge adapted to engage and disengage with the slotted end of the yoke whereby the clamping member is locked in clamped position on the rail base. p 2. In a device or' the character described and in combination with a yoke having a slot therein, a locking key or wedgeV adapted to rigidly engage with said slot and having av bent end adapted to loosely engage with said slot whereby the locking key is retained on the yoke in operative vand inoperative posi tions.

3. The combination with a yoke adapted to lit across therbase of a rail and ormed with an enlarged notched end and a slotted enlarged end of a box-shaped clamping member' slotted to engage with the slotted end oit the yoke and provided with notches to engage with the rail base and a locking key or wedge through the slotted yoke behind said clamping member.

4. In a device or' the character described, the combination with a yoke having a slanting top .surface ormed with clamping means at one end and slotted at the other end, of a channel-shaped member adapted to clamp the rail base and to-slidably engage with the slotted end ot the yoke.

5. 1n a device ot the charac-ter described, the combination with a yoke formed with clamping means at one end and slotted at the other end, ogt a channel-shaped member adapted to clamp the rail base and to slidably engage with the slotted end of the yoke, and a locking wedge designed to simultaneously engage with the yoke and said clamping means.

6. in a device of the character described, the combination with a clamping member suitably notched and slotted, ot a yoke extending through the clamping member and adapted to receive a locking wedge therethrough between the clamping member and the .extremity of the yoke.

7. in a device o1 the character described, a yoke formed with clamping means in one end and adapted at the other end to engage with a clamping member, and clinchable means on the yoke adapted to retain theclamping member thereon.

8. ln a device ot the character described, a yoke with a curved top surface, a clamping member of substantially channel shape slotted to engage with the yoke and notched to engage and clamp with a rail, and means formed in the yoke behind the clamping member designed to operatively engage with a locking key.

9. in a rail anti-creeper and in combination, a yoke, a channel member closed at one end and provided with notches in the sides to engage with the base of a rail, said sides being 'of substantially greater depth at the bottom than at the top, a slot in the clamping member to engage with the yoke, a slot in the yoke at right angles to the aforementioned slot and a locking Wedge tor said slot. Y

10. In a device 'of the character described, a yoke formed with rail clamping means at one end and a substantially rectangular portion at the other end provided with a slot, a three-sided clamping member having nothes in two of the .sides to engage with andV clamp a rail and a slot in theV remaining side to engage with the yoke, and wedge means through the slot in the yoke for locking the clamping member and the yoke in position.

11. An anti-creeper for rails comprising in combination with a rail section, a yoke adapted to fit across the rail base and provided at one end with a notch to clamp said base and provided with a' slot in the other end the surface of the yoke between said ends being slanted from the centre outwardly to provide a non-continuous contact with the base of the rail, a notched key or wedge adapted to engage with the slotted end of the yoke whereby on the key being driven the wedge lock is automatically spring actuated.

12. An anti-Creeper for rails comprising in combination with'a rail section, a yoke adapted to lit across the rail base and provided at one end with a notch to clamp said base, a slot in the other end having a lug therein, the top of the yoke between said ends being curved to provide a non-continuous contact with the base of the rail, a notched key wedge adapted to engage with the slotted end of the yoke and to lock and unlock with said lug whereby on the key being` driven the yoke is automatically raised and lowered to cause the locking lug to rise between the notches on the wedge and to automatically drop and lock with said notches.

13. In a device of the characterdescribed and in combination with a rail section a yoke for the rail section adapted to engage with the base of the rail at one end and formed with a slot at the opposite endv4 having intermediate of said ends a curved contacting surface, a' notched wedge for the slotted end and a locking member in the slotted end adapted to be engaged and disengaged by said wedge whereby in cooperation with the curved surface of the yoke on the wedge being driven the yoke is automatically sprung to engage and disengalge with the wedge to lock and unlock the yo e.

14E. An anti-Creeper for rails comprising in combination wit-h a rail section, a yoke adapted to fit across the rail base and provided at oneen-d with a notch to clamp said base, a slot in the other end having a lug therein, the top of the yoke between Said ends being curved lto provide a non-continuous contact with the base of the rail, a notched key wedge adapted to engage with the slotted end of the yoke and to lock and unlock with said lug whereby on the key being driven the yoke is automatically raised and lowered to cause the locking lug to rise between the notches on the wedge 1and toV automatically drop and lock with said notches, a rigid clamping member adapted to engage with the slotted end of the yoke and to engage with and clamp the base of the rail.

15. The combination with a rail of a yoke adapted to engage with a wedge or locking key, the surface 'of the yoke between said ends being suitably curved whereby under the influence of tension exerted by the wedge the wedge lock is automatically spring actuated.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ROBERT HILL. 

